Sudan is the largest country in Africa. Its capitol, Khartoum, sits where the white and blue Nile rivers meet, before heading up into Egypt. It is bordered by eight different countries and by the Red Sea.

Sudan is a country divided – the Muslim north and the Christian and animist South region. The south has been trying to separate from the north for some time and the resultant conflict has made continuing missionary work difficult and intermittent.

AIM began ministry in South Sudan in 1949. We continued until civil war and a Muslim government forced withdrawal in 1964. We returned in 1974 to work alongside the national churches, especially the nascent Africa Inland Church—Sudan (AIC Sudan) until forced to leave in 1992. In those relatively short periods, many of the current AIC Sudan leaders were converted, discipled and trained.

Now the AIC Sudan has invited AIM to help them develop a stronger church. There are a hundred growing congregations from Port Sudan to Nimule – the greatest number being in Eastern Equatoria State, where the church first started, as well as in Refugee Camps in Kenya and Uganda. As a result of the war churches have also been planted in the Khartoum area and there is a strong desire in the hearts of the leaders to reach out to their Muslim neighbors.

At present we are helping by prayer and financial support especially in the area of theological and administrative training for men and women selected by AIC Sudan. Most of this training is being done in Khartoum to enable these chosen few to remain in their own country during their studies.

The vision of AIC Sudan is to have a trained clergy as well as capable administrators and educators—secular and theological. The church leaders believe that after a generation with no educational opportunity there is an open door to reach the next generation through schools. AIM has been invited to help strengthen the church and prepare pastors, evangelists and teachers to minister to this war-torn, needy country that has one of the most rapidly growing churches in the world.

AIM is also part of ACROSS (Association of Christian Resource Organizations Serving Sudan), which is an inter-mission development agency working in Upper Nile State, largely among the Dinka and Nuer tribes, in partnership with local churches in various community-
based development programs.